The four angles in a birth chart are derived from the diurnal movement of the Sun. The Ascendant or 'Rising' Sign represents the Sun's rising, the Midheaven or 'MC' the highest point the Sun reaches, the Descendant or 'DS' the setting Sun and 'Imum Coeli' is latin for "bottom of the sky. These play a critical role in interpretation and timing of life events in Astrology.
The Ascendant, or 'Rising Sign', is the degree of the zodiac that was on the Eastern Horizon at the moment of our birth as 'seen' from the location of birth. It is often thought of as 'the mask that we wear' as it represents the first thing that other people notice about us because it is the way we relate to others.
The Descendant is the degree found directly opposite to the Ascendant and so is the 'back door' to our charts. Here we find the qualities we look for in 'partners', mostly romantic, but also business, friendship and sometimes even adversarial relationships as well.
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